Three pieces of advice to help your multiples pay at Cheltenham
In theory, horse racing is a sport in which you do not need accumulators to win big. Almost every race has viable selections at bigger odds than what you would see in a typical win-lose-draw football market.
Try telling that to most racing punters. Multiple bets are extremely popular, especially on big racedays. Bookies therefore often end up facing big liabilities at the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot.
The most famous recent examples have been jockey-led. Day one of Cheltenham was often called ‘Ruby Tuesday’ because of the book of rides Ruby Walsh used to enjoy in the early races. A last-hurdle fall on Annie Power in the Mares’ Hurdle in 2015, with Walsh on a four-timer, reportedly saved the betting industry millions. More recently, Frankie Dettori sent markets into meltdown when winning the first four races on Gold Cup day at Royal Ascot in 2019.
Of course, the very best time for a lucrative accumulator is ante-post and the prime opportunities there have largely passed. Paul Dean, the punter who was sitting on a £500,000 payout going into day three of last year’s Cheltenham Festival, had placed his once-in-a-lifetime bet the previous summer.
On-the-day accumulators can still win big, but there are a few tips to bear in mind:
Take the prices: Bets at starting price (SP) will generally offer poorer value. This is especially true if you follow a popular multiple, as bookies will move money around to manage their liabilities as they build. Make sure when placing your bet that you are getting the current odds.
Mix it up: Following one jockey is a pure punt. Some bettors follow trainers instead, which is a little more logical as trainer form is generally stronger than jockey form. The smartest multiples bettors are guided by horses, rather than people. The market might suggest otherwise, partly due to multiples punters, but the chances of Blue Lord winning the Arkle do not increase that much if his stablemate Dysart Dynamo were to win the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Cover yourself: The straight accumulator is cheap, but unlikely to come off. If you pick four horses and have three winners, the returns on the treble would still more than likely deliver a bumper payday.
Keep an eye on stakes using this method. For example, with four selections covering trebles and an accumulator makes five bets, which increases to 11 (a Yankee) if you include doubles and 15 (a Lucky 15) with singles. Choose depending on how much you want to stake and the prices of your horses- covering doubles and singles may not be worthwhile if you are backing short-priced favourites.
